There’s nothing like a first meal in a new place to tell you that you’ve arrived.
Our first night in Bavaria during last month’s trip began in the best possible way: around a table, at a charming and traditional German restaurant in a tiny Bavarian town, with family, conversation and a plate so hearty it made me gasp and exclaim, ‘Wow!’
Interior and exterior photos of Restaurant Brunnenstadl from Facebook
We dined at Restaurant Brunnenstadl, located in a 400-year-old historic wooden barn that is all Bavaria. I had the smoked duck, which is available only on Mondays and Thursdays and had to be ordered the day before. Thank you, German cousins!
The dish is called Ente alla Oma Lotte, a secret family recipe named after the original owner. The restaurant pairs this specialty dinner with live music and guest dancing, so both the feel and the meal are celebratory and festive.
The duck was plated with glossy red cabbage and an enormous potato ball that looked like it could take on a rival gang and come out victorious. It was literally the size of a baseball.
They say everything is bigger in Texas, but Bavaria is a strong contender, my friends.
The taste was just as big as the portions. The duck (a whole half of a duck!) had mahogany, crispy skin that snap-crackled with herbs and spices, and it was deliciously juicy and tender on the inside. The red cabbage was the only way it should ever be: dark cherry-colored, tart, tangy and smooth. The plate was sauced with roasting juices that had a deep, savory, umami punch — perfect for every bite of that dense potato ball.
That meal reminded me of another wonderfully oversized meal with these same lovely German cousins, years ago at my mother-in-law Riki’s house in Texas. They cooked a giant pork dish with spaetzle and filled the kitchen with love, laughter and serious German comfort food. I’ve now retroactively added that story to my Bavarian Family Table series, because it belongs there: same family, same generous spirit, same glorious disregard for tiny portions.
Our first Bavarian dinner was exactly the kind of meal I’d hoped for: generous, deeply traditional, a little dramatic on the plate, and completely rooted in the place. After the long journey and the joy of being reunited with the German cousins, that dinner felt like the doorway into everything that would follow: mountain views, castles, family stories, backyard meals and the warm Bavarian welcome that became the heart of the trip.
More to come!
Bavarian Family Table
This post is part of my Bavarian Family Table series, a collection of stories from our time with our German cousins — full of family ties, warm hospitality, mountain views, memorable meals and, of course, the table that brings everyone together.
©️ 2026, Glover Gardens
Duck is a sure bet. Good you were with German relations. I remember years ago, travelling in the Rhine valley, understanding nothing about the food.
Happy weekend
You’ve been here, there and everywhere!
And you are so right about the guidance – our cousins took us in hand and made sure we had a fabulous experience, including understanding what we were ordering.